Music!
by WriterlyInqueling
Summary: "Behind every favorite song, there is an untold story." And those unspoken stories need to be told. "When words fail, music speaks." And words speak the unspoken of a song. A group of stories/one-shots inspired by songs. A variety of characters, but mostly Jack. A variety of songs/genres. But I can promise no romance and little humor. Angsty/thoughtful? Guaranteed. Music!
1. Centuries

**I'm alive! Y'know, barely. Life hasn't been very kind to my writing. School, moving, my social life (yes, people who write fanfiction can have a social life). I think the biggest thing right now though is that I have many stories in the works and none completed. The moment I start working on one, I get a new idea and start working on** ** _that_** **. Like this one!**

 **Lately,** ** _every_** **song I've been listening to makes me think of Jack or Pitch or just Rise of the Guardians in general. Is that normal? Yeah, probably not. Just the fangirl in me, I guess. So I've decided to just go with it! These are stories inspired by certain songs. So I listen to weird mixture of music! Okay?!**

 **So... I actually have rules for reading these fics. Here are the versions of playing:**

 **Writerly's Way (Recommended): Listen to the song beforehand so you have an idea of what it is than read the story.**

 **Sandy: Look up the lyrics and read them before you read the fic. (Silent, hence Sandy!)**

 **Tooth: Listen to the song** ** _while_** **reading the story. (For all you multi-taskers.)**

 **Elf: Listen to or look up the song** ** _after_** **you read it. (Kinda a funny way to do it, but hey, we all have what works best for us.)**

 **Nightmare: Don't look up the song at all and** ** _still_** **read the story. (How dare you.)**

 **Let's play!**

 **Song: Centuries by Fall Out Boy**

"I knew you would come," Pitch smiled up at him from the shadows. He was a bloody wreck.

Jack winced, Nightmares had no mercy.

Pitch's smile broadened at Jack's reaction, "Surprised, Jack?" He gestured at himself, "The Guardians have less mercy than my Nightmares."

"They didn't know," Jack leaned on his staff.

"Oh didn't they?" Pitch limped closer, but Jack jumped back.

Pitch stopped where he was and tilted his head, "Do they still blame you for Easter?"

Jack cringed, and instantly regretted it when Pitch grinned, knowing his remark had hit home. Jack put on a defiant attitude, "We haven't gotten a chance to talk about it."

Pitch nodded thoughtfully, "Mmm... so they've been ignoring you," Pitch smiled, "But you must be used to that by now."

"They're busy!" Jack shouted, "Cleaning up the mess _you_ made!" Jack pointed his staff at Pitch.

Pitch only shrugged, "One mistake is all it takes. And you go down in history. Remembered, known, for that one mistake."

Jack glared at him, "I could've just left you alone."

"But you can't, can you," Pitch smirked, "Think about it, Jack. Without me, you would still be wandering around, unbelieved in, amnesiac, and not knowing why. Do you even know why now?"

Jack was about to make an angry retort, but Pitch continued, "Three centuries, Jack. _Centuries._ "

Jack _had_ to say something, "I gave up those dreams, Pitch." It sounded shaky, even to him. He lit up, "Besides, I have Jamie now!" And yet, Jack could feel the shadows over him.

"Something's off with _that_ story," Pitch scoffed, "One kid? Children make mistakes so easily. Their belief is like blossoms about to bloom. They look so pretty," He shook his head, "and they're gone so soon."

He smirked, "Your teenage dreams are not as dead as you think."

Jack nearly froze him with his ice.

Pitch frowned at the staff, "I wish I knew how you fixed yourself in Antarctica," He spoke wistfully, "I never meant for that to happen."

"You would've left me to die?"

Pitch rolled his eyes, " _Can_ you die?"

Jack thought about that for a second, "I dunno."

Pitch shrugged, "Neither do I. We've been here forever," He gestured at Jack, "And here's the frozen proof. We may not be able to physically die, but we can waste away into shadows."

" _You_ did. I'm still here. People can see me now."

Pitch tilted his head, "Ah, so that's why you're here." He walked into the shadows and came out behind Jack, "Remember, Jack? Your fears? Well let me tell you something," Jack stepped back, "They're not gone, not really. They're just... different."

Jack fought the urge to put his hands over his ears again, "I'm a Guardian now."

Pitch gave Jack a pitying look, "You're naught but a legend. Now, some legends turn to gold, but the rest of us? We're dust. We blow away in the wind."

"No. I will be remembered." Jack couldn't give up on what he had hoped for for so many years.

Pitch grinned, "Ah, and now that's the question, Jack. How far will you go to keep that memory?" His silky voice made Jack shudder.

"We have far more in common than you think, Jack," Pitch kept grinning at him, "Now that you've tasted belief, how far will you go to keep it? You've been poisoned," He pointed at Jack, "A poisoned youth. How far will you go to be remembered?"

Jack slammed his staff on the ground, "Not as far as you!"

Pitch's arm dropped, "We'll see, Frost, we'll see. After a few centuries maybe..."

Jack shook his head, "I'm not you. I will be remembered, but not as a villain." A look of determination crossed his face, "I'll be a hero. A golden legend. The whole world will know my name. I'll be remembered for centuries." He glared at Pitch, "And you'll still be hiding under beds."

Pitch walked back into the shadows, leaving only darkness. His voice echoed around him, "I wanted the world to know my name. I promised that I wouldn't stop until it happened. Did you know I was a hero, Frost? A golden legend." Jack could make out Pitch's figure, head bent, before it melted into shadows again, "One mistake, Jack. That's all it will take. And in that one moment, your golden legend will crumble to dust. "

He stepped in front of Jack and took a bow, "And you _will_ be remembered," He looked up at the look of horror on Jack's face, "For centuries."

Jack flew away and never looked back.


	2. Strangers

**A/N: Thank you all for your amazing reviews! I'm glad ya like it!**

 **Let me introduce you to something you may be seeing more of in the future. - *Tissue Alert!* Grab some tissues, find a quiet corner in which to cry (I don't care much for crying in public), and _then_ listen to the song and read the story.**

 **Yeah, this one's a sad one. Did I mention I'm super obsessed with Jack and his sister?**

 **Recommended: I actually recommend looking up the lyrics for this song, as well as listening to it.**

 **Song: Strangers by Scratch21 featuring EileMonty**

 **Let's Play!**

 _Dear Flee, Dearest Flee,_

 _I don't know where to start. I've only just remembered everything. MiM, how I miss you. I miss your smile. Your laugh. Do you miss me? There are times when I still feel like I'm drowning. Not in water, but in darkness. I wish you were here. You were always able to cheer me up with just a touch. I'm sorry, Flee. I didn't mean to get sad. I'm still your fun-loving brother. I still laugh and smile. Some days are just harder than others. I just wish I had been able to say goodbye. I've staggered so long alone, but your memory keeps me going. The memory of a family. I miss you so much. You were so young and I was so reckless. What did we do to deserve this? That day I promised you you'd be fine. I hope I didn't break it. Maybe one day I'll get better and it won't hurt so much. Oh Flee, how many times did I pass you in the village? My dearest sister, a stranger. I still want to be by your side. I'm sorry I couldn't always be there for you. Oh there I go being sad again. I love you Flee. So much._

 _Your loving brother,_

 _Jack_

(~~~)

 _Dear Jack, my loving brother,_

 _Jack, why did you leave me? I miss you so much. I kept waiting for you where you left me. Waiting for you to find me and tell me it was just a joke. I know you would never play such an awful joke on me Jack, but I needed something to hold onto. I know now, you're gone. That doesn't mean I still hope. Jack, wherever you are, be brave. For me. You were always the mischief maker, the fun one. Jack, I can't play hopscotch anymore. I can't ice skate. It's not like other daily things that are not the same without you. I just_ can't. _One day, I'll be fine, but for now? They tell me to let you go, but not caring is so hard to do. Jack, you were right beside me! How did our time go so quickly? I feel like I'm a stranger now. I'm missing a piece of me without you. Jack, I miss you so much. Jack, I love you._

 _Your dearest sister,_

 _Flee_

Jack put down his pen.

Flee put down her pen.

Jack tilted his head up to the sky, "Did you remember me, dear Flee? You didn't forget me, right?"

Flee looked down at the letter, the tears blurring it, "I still think of you all the time, Jack."

Jack swallowed, trying hard not to cry, "I want to leave my heart empty, Flee," He looked down at the letter, whispering, "I don't want it broken again."

Flee let the wind blow on her face, drying some of her tears, "What does it even _mean_ , Jack?" She closed her eyes tight, "You were always good at explaining things to me."

"And yet, I want to fill it again," Jack looked out at the lake, "Flee, are you still there in my heart?"

Flee looked at the lake and began to sob, "Jack, are you still there?" She buried her face in her knees, "Are you still watching over me?"

"I feel like I'm going in circles. I've wanted to know my past for so long, but it _hurts._ " Jack felt some tears slip down his face and wiped at them, furiously.

"I feel like I'm going in circles. Circles do nothing but leave me dizzy," She stood up to face the lake.

"Flee, why can't I just let you go?!" Jack yelled at the empty lake. "You're not even alive anymore!"

"Jack, I've been waiting for you to heal me!" Flee screamed at the empty lake, "To stop this aching! Where are you?!" She fell to her knees. She grieved for her brother. Cried for the times when she couldn't there with him. She cried for the times that he had been there, knowing it could never happen again.

Jack bent his head, "I-I'm sorry, I didn't mean it like that." He sighed and pulled his knees in, "I just wish we could go back. Start again." He gazed at the letter and let the tears fall down his face, "I wish we could have said goodbye." He grieved for his sister. Cried for the times he couldn't be there for her. He cried for the times that he had been there, knowing that it wasn't like that anymore.

After a while, she looked up from her tears, gazing at the sky, "I-I know you're gone. It's like we're strangers, but I need you, Jack. I need you." She wiped away her tears and wrapped up the letter, setting it on the lake. The frozen, awful lake that had taken her brother from her. She watched as it was blown away with the wind.

Jack looked up from his tears, gazing at the lake, "I need you, Flee. I miss you so much." Jack wiped away the tears on his face and wrapped up the letter, setting it on a stack of letters that could never be sent.


	3. Cool Kids

**A/N: Unlucky Alis: I hereby bequeath thee a lifetime supply of scotch tape for your broken heart!**

 **Nemesis dan Impyrean: William Joyce (the author of the series that inspired Rise of the Guardians) stated that Jack's sister's name is Flee. I've always seen it as more of a sweet nickname Jack has for his sister. His mother doesn't have a name... yet. Who knows, he may say more one day!**

 ***Tissue Alert! Mild* You may just tear up a bit, I know I did.**

 **Song: Cool Kids by Fight the Fade (Original is by Echosmith, but I heard this version first and I like it better)**

 **Let's Play!**

Wind watched as the other spirits gathered. She watched as the jolly old man laughed at whatever the tiny golden man had spelled above his head. Meanwhile the rainbow bird and the giant rabbit were discussing something. They looked happy, together. And she was just watching.

She knew they were the Guardians. They protected. They helped. Maybe they could help her.

She rattled the window trying to get inside. Nothing.

She tried whispering, murmuring in the only way the Wind can talk. Nothing. The giant rabbit left through a hole.

She tried swirling up some snow, throwing it at the window. Nothing. The tiny golden man fell asleep in a corner.

She tried howling, screeching, making the sounds that would have humans running into their houses.

Her heart lifted as the jolly old man came to window and looked out. Her heart nearly stopped. She tried murmuring again. _Help me please. Nobody ever sees me. I'm scared. I'm lonely. Help me._

The jolly old man shrugged, "I do not see storm. Must just be wind." And he left.

()()()

That day the Wind cried like never before. The Guardians helped everyone. They were the ones always walking on the straight line to the same heart beat. The golden example. The cool kids.

That would no longer be her style. The Wind became erratic and temperamental.

Her heartbeat would no longer be the same. The Wind became cold and uncaring.

 _Must just be wind. Must just be Wind._ She was just Wind. They couldn't bother with her. _Nothing in the world could ever bring them down_ , she realized. _Not even me_.

And the Wind cried and cried. She wished she wouldn't have to be alone. Wished that she could fit in. Could be seen.

They were invincible and she was just in the background.

She wished she could be loved. She wished she wouldn't have to be alone.

The Wind wished that she could be a cool kid.

()()()

Jack watched as the other spirits gathered. He watched as North laughed at whatever Sandy had spelled above his head. Meanwhile Tooth and Bunny were discussing something. They looked happy, together. And he was just watching.

He knew they were the Guardians. They protected. They helped. Maybe they could help him.

He rattled the window trying to get inside. Nothing.

He tried banging on the window, trying to get their attention. Nothing.

Tooth flew away with her little fairies, not even noticing him.

He tried throwing snow at the window. Nothing.

Sandy left in a cloud of dreamsand.

He started a blizzard. The snow swirling everywhere in a storm that would have sent humans running into their houses.

His heart nearly stopped when Bunny came to the window. "Help me please," He yelled through the storm, "Nobody ever sees me. I'm scared. I'm lonely. Help me."

Bunny made sure the window was tight, "Don't want the cold comin' in, eh, North?" And he left.

()()()

That day Jack cried like never before. The Guardians helped everyone. They made sure all those kids had smiles on their faces. _They_ were always smiling. But they didn't have a clue that they had forgotten one child.

They were living the good life, but they couldn't see what he was going through.

They were always busy. They shut themselves up, only going from one holiday to another. Jack would stay with the children. Even those on the naughty list because sometimes they were the ones who needed it the most.

They lived their lives without knowing the struggles of others. Jack would always pay attention to the struggles of others. Even if they didn't care about him.

Wind cradled her Winter child. She knew what he was going through. She had been there. Alone and scared.

Jack cried to her, "I-I just thought they would get it. I just want to fit in, Wind."

Wind brushed away his tears, _I know it hurts. I know you feel alone, Jack. But you have me._

Jack let her carry him, "I guess we're not the cool kids, huh, Wind?"

Wind smiled at him gently, _We are, Jack. More than they'll ever be. They talk with big smiles, but their smiles are nothing to yours. You smile even when you don't feel like it. You bring happiness to the children who believe they are forgotten. You get it, Jack. You understand._

Jack wiped at the tears on his face, "We have a different style, don't we."

 _Snowballs and fun times._

"Snowballs and fun times."


	4. Who We Are

**A/N: 'Ello FanFiction world! Happy New Year! Can I just say I'm super psyched about some stories that I have in works? I really just want to post 'em now, but Inqueling is like "What if we mess up? What if it fails? What if you run out of creativity?! And then it will sit on the site. Gathering dust and angry followers and you'll regret it for your whole life and-" Okay so maybe Inqueling only said some of that and the rest is my overactive imagination.**

 **Song: Who We Are by Imagine Dragons**

 **OH MY GOSH. I** ** _love_** **this song, okay guys? It has inspired so many of my fanfics and more.**

 **Quick notes, every time I looked up the lyrics for this song, it was different. So, I have taken some liberties. "** **Picking down talks when the birds get back to me"? "** **Picking down clocks When the birds come out to eat"?** **It doesn't even sound like that! So I have kindly interpreted it as "Taking down crops 'fore the birds come down to eat."Umm... it is also slightly depressing. Like, I kinda hit the Guardians upside the head with the whole "300 years" thing (They are** ** _way_** **too oblivious sometimes).**

 **Anyways, warnings aside, I really recommend listening to this song. It's so good.**

 **Let's play!**

Jack's eager eyes looked up at them, "Do you think you could help them too?"

Tooth, North, Sandy, and Bunny looked out at the listless spirits in front of them.

Father Time, Eros, Aolus, Eris, some seasonals, some mythological creatures, they all stood before the Guardians.

An Autumn spirit with wide brown eyes looked at Tooth, "What's it like to work only during the night?"

Her brother shushed her, but Tooth tilted her head, "What do you mean?"

The brown eyes blinked, "We're up in the morning, up in the evening. Our job never stops, until our season is over."

"We have to save the crops before the birds come down to eat," The other Autumn spirit crossed his arms.

His sister's head fell, "And all the people starve."

Meanwhile, North looked concerned at Father Time, "Ombric, vhat are you doing here?"

Ombric smiled, "Do I need a reason to visit my favorite student?"

"I thought you were-"

"Hiding up on a mountain?"

North nodded, "Experimenting."

Ombric's smile suddenly looked very fragile, "North, I haven't been on that mountain for years. You never check up on me. You never come to visit." Ombric suddenly looked confused, "Or maybe you haven't come to visit me yet. Or maybe you did and I just forgot. Did you visit me in a different time perhaps?"

North tried to keep his horrified look off his face, "Ombric, I visited you last week."

Ombric's smile fell, a very lucid look coming over his face, "North. Time is not to messed with. Hey, did you bring me cookies?" The old senile man was back.

Bunny was talking to Eros, if that's what it could be called, "Shouldn't you be preparing for your holiday, mate?"

Eros frowned, "So people can keep pretending I'm a baby in diapers? Write me off as Cupid? Make fun of me and break up and mock real love?" He gasped pretending to look ashamed, "Oh I'm sorry. Does my honesty offend you?" He bowed, "Well I'm sorry, 'your majesty'. But some of us don't like our holidays. So we go out into the real world to do real stuff while you're stuck down in your king's lair."

Sandy was signing to Jack, a question mark and a arrow at the people in front of them. Jack smiled as he looked out at the crowd, "These guys are all like me." He leaned on his staff, "They don't know what they are, nobody really believes in them, they're alone."

"Ya mean they _were_ like you," Bunny tried to keep the tone of concern from his voice as he turned away from an angry Eros.

Tooth also turned away from her conversation, "You're not alone anymore, Jack."

"But they are," Jack pointed out at the crowd.

Eris straightened out her chaotic raven black hair, "Come now, Jackie, none of us are like you. The only reason we're here is to see if we can also get a handout from the Guardians. "

Jack's eyes got glassy, "Eris is the personification of chaos. She always says things like that." He regained his calm, "Is my name in your book of jealousy, Eris?"

Eris smiled, a slight uplift of her lips, "Out with reason and in with the season, I say." Her voice taking on a sing-songy tone, "Jackie is the season of winter. The season of winter is chaos." She paused her voice returning to normal, "Maybe we are more alike, aren't we?" Jack was holding his staff, his knuckles white and Eris chuckled, "Not everything is right up in Jackie's attic, now is it?" Her voice returning to a sing-songy voice, "Nor in any of ours."

Aolus was busy directing all the different winds, "No! Not tornado! Augh, you're needed in Chicago! Shut your trap and let me tell you what to do!"

Jack licked his lips, "So you think you can help them?"

"Help them with what?!"

"These guys have been stuck in the cellar for years, decades, centuries. No one cares about them... Except us, right?"

The Guardians looked out at the group of the restless spirits in front of them. Both sides silent, just looking at the other.

Chaos, Love, Time, Seasons, Wind, all looking battered, tired, scarred. And Jack had called himself one of them.

The Guardians realized that by shutting themselves in, they hadn't only ignored the children.

Bunny's ears fell back and Tooth's hands rose slowly to her mouth, "What can we _do_?"

Eros broke the silence that fell afterwards with a laugh, "What _can_ you do, princess? Huh? We've been ignored. Written off. We've been lost in the static."

Ombric smiled, it was hard to tell if he was lucid or not, "We keep doing our job. We're good boys."

Aolus scoffed, "East head to Paris! You never spared a shred of sympathy for us. The only reason I'm here is for Wind." He went back to his work trying to make up for the few seconds he had lost.

The Autumn spirit looked out at them, "We keep being pushed around, kicked, uncared for, ignored."

Her brother shook his head, "But we keep coming back for more."

Jack's smile fell, "We were never welcome here. We were never welcome here at all."

Eris shrieked, a terrifying sound coming from the spirit of Chaos, "It's who we are."

Jack looked down at his hands, hands that had caused too many blizzards, "It doesn't matter if we've gone too far."

"It doesn't matter if it's all okay," Ombric's smile still plastered on his face.

Eros crossed his arms, "It doesn't matter if it's not our day."

"It's who we are," their voices echoed off into the night.

Jack grinned and laughed a hysterical laugh that barely sounded like him at all, "They say we're crazy you know."

Eris grinned, "They say we're crazy."

Eros echoed her, "They say we're crazy."

Ombric's senile smiling face repeated, "They say we're crazy."

"They say we're crazy." It echoed across the empty field.

"They say we're crazy." It filled the Guardians' heads.

"They say we're crazy." It was loud, quiet. Pleading, mocking. Honest and a lie.

"They say we're crazy," And Jack's laugh echoed above it all.

And they saw what 300 years could do. It could shatter you. Leave you wondering what was you and what wasn't. And Jack just didn't know how to pick it apart. None of these spirits did.

Jack looked at them pleading, "So won't you, save us?" His shattered blue eyes speaking things he never could. Breaking through his mask. "Save us from what we are," He shut his eyes tight, " _Because_ of what we are," he looked down at his hands, "A spirit of death."

Ombric's eyes shined, "Of confusion."

"Of lust," Eros looked disgusted.

Eris smiled, "What we are? It just doesn't look clear. It's pure chaos!" She giggled.

Jack's hopeful look never left his face, "But you guys can fix it! It's all uphill from here." His trusting, innocent face pleaded with them.

And the Moon shone down brightly upon them all. As silent as ever.


	5. Wake Me Up

**A/N: Anybody have free time for sale? Because I really need some. Managed to squeeze out this little fanfic. GOSH, I never knew how _badly_ I wanted to write this scene until I did. **

**Song: Wake Me Up (I like the version by Boyce Avenue featuring Jennel Garcia, but if you want the original, it's really just the lyrics that matter.)**

 **I made Inqueling tear up, so... Tissue alert?**

 **Enjoy!**

"Jack!"

He heard his name screamed as he fell into the freezing water. He tried to feel his way through the darkness, his heart beating wildly.

 _I'm going to die._ The thought flew through his head. _I'm not ready. I'm not ready to die._

His lungs were already beginning to hurt. He could feel himself sinking.

 _I wonder will this journey will end._ He laughed morbidly, _At least I know where to start._

He felt his eyes grow heavy. _Death is like a long sleep, who told you that?_ Jack let his mind wander, _Mother, it was Mom._

()()()

"You're too young to understand!" She screamed at him when he asked why Daddy wasn't coming home. Later she apologized to him and said that Daddy wasn't coming home because he was gone.

"He left?" Jack sniffled.

"No, no, not like that. He-he-" she began sobbing, "He died."

Jack's eyebrows furrowed. His young friend, Henry, he had died too. Henry never came to play with anymore. Henry was lying down in the ground, sleeping.

"Is Daddy sleeping like Henry?"

A sad laugh broke his mother's sobs, "Yes. He's sleeping. A big long sleep. Death is just a big long sleep."

()()()

Well, Jack didn't feel like he was about to go sleep. His lungs hurt so much.

"Ha! What a rich dream. Death just being sleep." Oh, yeah. Jacob. "Poor Jack," he sneered, "Caught up in his little dream. Death isn't sleep. You never wake up. Open up your eyes!"

"Oh yeah? Then what is it?" Jack smiled smugly at Jacob.

Jacob opened his mouthed, then shut it. Jack just grinned.

()()()

 _Huh, so your life_ does _pass before your eyes._ Jack didn't want to open up his eyes, he wanted to see more. _That's fine by me._

He heard his sister praying beside her bed, "God? I'm praying for Jack. Ever since Daddy was gone, Jack's been tryin' ta carry tha world for us. He's only got two hands! I want my brother back, God. Please?"

()()()

He saw his older self laughing with his sister, "One day, Flee, I'm gonna travel the world." He looked out at the hills.

Flee giggled, "Can I come with you?"

He hugged her, "We'll go together. No plans, we'll just wing it!"

"Together?" Her brown eyes gazed hopefully up at him.

He nodded solemnly, "Together."

()()()

His lungs couldn't take it anymore. He took in a breath and his eyes shot open as he choked on the water. Water was pouring into his lungs and there was nothing he could about it. It was so cold. It hurt so much.

"Are you ever going to grow up, Jack?" His mother smiled at him as he gathered up the stuff for their skating outing.

He had laughed, "Growing up is inevitable, Mom. It's _maturing_ that's optional."

She laughed with him, "I wish I could be forever young like you."

He kissed her cheek, "Maybe one day, I'll be older."

"And wiser, I hope," She winked at him.

He chuckled.

Flee ran downstairs, "You ready?! I wanna go!" She pulled her coat on and tugged her brother's sleeve, "C'mon, Jack!"

"Be careful!"

Jack didn't want to close his eyes. He was scared. He wanted to hold on to his life.

But against his will, they began to close. _At least I got one last game with Flee. I had a nice life. I was happy. I was loved._ His eyes shut, _She's safe._ He gave himself up, _Death is just sleep. Just wake me up when it's all over._ And he died.

()()()

Jack's eyes flew open, the memory over.

"Did you- Did you see that?!"

He looked at the little tooth box. "It- it was me! I had a family! I had a sister!"

 _All this time..._ _I was searching for myself._

He couldn't wipe the grin off his face, "I saved her!"

He looked up at MiM, realization shining in his face. He whispered, "That's why you chose me."

He had the answers, he knew who he was now.

"I'm- I'm a Guardian."

 _And I didn't know I was lost._


	6. You Are My Sunshine

**A/N: Writerly (sobbing): Inqueling, you monster. You just broke my heart. I'm gonna go crawl to the corner and cry for little, so you better take over.**

 **Inqueling: I'm sorry...! (Writerly: *yells from corner* she really isn't!) I love this lullaby, in case you couldn't tell. So, I ended up writing this all out and then, when I went back, I made _myself_ tear up. Is that _normal?!_**

 **Writerly (in corner): *sniffs* No it isn't. *wipes nose on sleeve***

 **Inqueling: This is based off of You Are My Sunshine, but I'll let you all know (so you don't come at me with pitchforks and torches)-**

 **Writerly (still in corner of sadness): SHE CHANGED THE LYRICS TO MAKE ME CRY MORE.**

 **Inqueling: That is _not_ how I was going to put it! I just needed to graph it to the story. But yeah, I modified that last verse a little. And a little bit of one scene later, that was me with my dad stroking my nose and ears, so it kinda made me feel all warm and fuzzy to relate to Jack. **

**BTW, if you're a crier, grab tissues**

 **Writerly (still sobbing in corner): You could've warned me!**

 **Inqueling: I said I was sorry!**

* * *

Two weeks since they'd put Pitch away for good and Jack still had nightmares. They seemed like sweet dreams until he awoke and they haunted his every waking moment moment.

He woke up shaking this time, tears damp in his eyes.

Not having anything else to do with his thoughts, Jack pulled a piece of paper from the Wind's grasp and hunted down a snub of a pencil. He crossed his legs and sat in the snow. Jack began to scrawl in a shorthand, "Sweet Flee, dearest Flee" and erased the words, trying to remember any cursive. It had been 300 years, and he could hardly remember his first grade writing. he wasn't sent to school that often, being a simple goat tender in the dense forest. Jack rewrote the words and continued.

Speaking out loud, he felt like she was right there listening, like she had always done when he was storytelling.

"What happened after I...left. Did you mourn for me? No, scratch that." He erased and wrote over, "Did you remember me as I was? Your fun loving, brave and true big brother? I wish I could've kept the light and fun in your life. But I guess I had a future to attend to, and only the Man in the Moon knew ahead of time.

"I am so sorry Flee. I wish I could go back, turn the hands of time, and make you happy when the skies were so gray that day. I wish I could tell you just _how much_ I love you. You'll never know... Oh MiM, you mean the world to me kid sister." Jack laughed, a wet sobbing laugh. He tried so hard to smile and failed. "Last night, I dreamt about you. Did ever dream about me? I dreamt that I could say goodbye, that I could hold you and stroke your beautiful soft hair... just one more time... But I was wrong! It wasn't real. I want it to be real! More than anything, I just want you back, Flee-"

Jack choked, he had to pause a moment fingering the weathered grooves in his staff until he could see through his tears, "We should have been more careful, I should've _known_ the ice was thin. Mother must have been so disappointed in me, after I promised. I _promised!_ I...I...am a _horrible_ brother. You must have figured that out by now, huh? I left you Flee, alone. I'll bet you hate me. I would. I...do, right now I mean. I know I'll be able to let go in time, forgive myself...but-" Jack took a shivering breath, never was he cold in all his spirit life, but the weight of his heart in his chest made the mercury drop. Not in the cold around him, but inside. His center. "What am I thinking. You wouldn't want me to talk about myself that way. it- it's just so _hard._ Sometimes I wonder if it was right for MiM to make me a spirit, for me accept being a Guardian. I couldn't save you from the aftermath of my death. I'm sorry."

"I love you Flee, dear heart," He had to stop. Jack placed down the pencil, lined up precisely beside the paper. He looked to the moon silently, then he hung his head and cried. A soft heart-wrenching, whispering cry that was drowned in the thickness of snow. He tried to brush away the tears with pale, icy hands, but they ran over his fingers and crystallized into snow. Jack sobbed, alone and cold and sick to the very center of who he was. He signed the letter with a shaking pencil, "I am," he breathed in a hoarse whisper, "as always, your loving Guardian and brother, Jack." Eventually Jack cried himself into an exhausted, tormented sleep and crumpled over his letter, breathing softly, steadily.

 **Several Hours Later**

"Jack!" Tooth cupped her hands around her mouth and called, "where are you?"  
Sandy pointed.  
"'Ey, how do you know, mate?"  
Sandy formed "zzz's" above his head.  
"He's sleeping?" Tooth inferred.  
Nod.  
"Vhere? Point the way, old friend"  
Sandy gestured again.  
"It's been hours though, shouldn't he have woken and seen the lights?" Tooth wondered. Baby tooth twittered in agreement.  
"Vhe don't need to sleep so much. Who would know."  
"'Cept Sandy. He'd know, right mate?" Bunny chuckled and patted Sandy's arm. Sandy returned Bunny's quip with an unamused glare.  
They slogged through the snow, searching, calling.  
After nearly an hour of combing the snow, they stumbled upon Jack. He was buried in a half foot of sleet, shivering with tears.  
"Jack, Jack! Wake up, please." Tooth shook his shoulder gently then harder.  
He moaned and sat up, rubbing his reddened eyes.  
"You were sleeping harder than than a hibernatin' Punxsutawney, mate. And that's saying something."  
"Vhe were worried for you Jack."  
"Didn't you see the lights Jack?" Bunny held a note of concern in his voice.  
"What's wrong, Jack?"  
Tooth searched his eyes. He looked away.  
"I...I... Is- is something the matter? The Northern Lights?"  
North laughed, "No, nothing is wrong Jack, nothing drastic, but we would like to spend time with out newest member."  
"Get to know you...and check your teeth!"  
Sandy tossed his hands in the air and rolled his eyes teasingly.  
"Yeah, tooth fairies will be tooth fairies." Bunny spoke for Sandy.  
"To know...me?"  
"North pretended to look around for somebody else and then his eyes met Jack's. "Yes you, Jack! Vhe want to know more about this child who saved Hope and Dreams, Wonder and Memory! And Fun. Most of all, Fun."  
Jack hesitated, not finding any words on his tongue. Then his fragile facade crumbled and a sob broke from his heart. He sank against a surprised North and cried into his warm coat. "I failed North. I-I... I don't think I can be a Guardian anymore. It isn't right. It isn't me. How can I help the present if I can't fix the past?"  
"No, Jack, Never doubt yourself. You've proved yourself a thousand times over to me and ya had _nothing_ to prove." Bunny placed a paw on his shoulder, "Ya can't spend your life dwellin' on the past, mate."  
"Oh, what's this?" Tooth picked up the slightly crumpled price of paper.  
"A letter." Jack murmured.  
Tooth's eyes skimmed the letter quickly, "Oh, Jack." Her eyes were soft with heartfelt remorse.  
"Read it for us Jack, please." North's voice rumbled softly. He pulled Jack into a hug and then let him pick up the paper.

Jack read in a soft melodic voice that they'd never heard him use.

"Sweet Flee, dearest Flee,  
"What happened after I left. Did you remember me as I was? Your fun loving, brave and true big brother? I wish I could've kept the light and fun in your life. But I guess I had a future to attend to, and only the Man in the Moon knew ahead of time.  
"I am so sorry Flee. I wish I could go back, turn the hands of time, and make you happy when the skies were so gray that day. I wish I could tell you just _how much_ I love you. You'll never know... Oh MiM, you mean the world to me kid sister.  
"Last night, I dreamt about you. Did ever dream about me? I dreamt that I could say goodbye, that I could hold you and stroke your beautiful soft hair... just one more time..." The Guardians glanced at Sandy, but he gave them a confused shrug. He sent so many dreams, what was one in a billion? They were startled by Jack's voice. "But I was wrong! It wasn't real. I want it to be real! More than anything, I just want you back, Flee-  
Warm tears sparkled down his face through the rest if the letter. He continued, speaking thickly.  
"We should have been more careful, I _should've known_ the ice was thin. Mother must have been so disappointed in me, after I promised. I _promised!_ I am a _horrible_ brother. You must have figured that out by now, huh? I left you Flee, alone. I'll bet you hate me. I would. I do, right now I mean-"  
Baby tooth chittered something like "Oh, Jack..." And streaked to his side. he stroked her feathers distractedly.  
"I know I'll be able to let go in time, forgive myself...but- what am I thinking. You wouldn't want me to talk about myself that way. It's just so _hard._ Sometimes I wonder if it was right for MiM to make me a spirit, for me accept being a Guardian. I couldn't save you from the aftermath of my death. I'm sorry.  
"I love you Flee, dear heart,  
"I am, as always, your loving Guardian and brother, Jack."  
All was silent.  
"So now you know." He murmured.  
"Jack, did she...?" Tooth asked.  
"No. No, I fell in that day. I left her alone. _I_ stole the smile from her mouth and the fun from her life..." He trailed off, a tear slipping down his nose. "Why was I chosen to be like this? Unable to reach out-"  
"You reached out to us Jack." Tooth put a small hand on his shoulder, "That's what matters."  
"We should never have gone!" He screamed, "I shouldn't have bought her those skates so close to spring! Why wasn't I more careful?! After she warned me, my mom told me. She was so scared..."  
Jack had cried himself out of tears, but he sank into the snow and stared at his empty hands, trapped in the shadow of bleary clouds of thought.  
"Oh, Jack...Jack, Jack, Jack." North cradled him gently, an altogether new sentiment. Jack was too worn out and hollow inside to put up a fight. He looked so thin and powerless in the Russian's arms, Sandy thought. But MiM only knew what kind of strength he held within himself.  
Without thinking, Jack began to hum a melody he'd heard a couple times. Every time he discovered a new verse, he felt as if he were going to cry inside. He never knew what it meant, until now. Soon he was singing the lullaby softly. Bunny's ears perked at his voice and Tooth listened with closed eyes to the gentle rise and fall of his notes:

You are my sunshine  
My only sunshine  
You make me happy  
When skies are gray  
You'll never know dear  
How much I love you  
Please don't take  
My sunshine away

The other night dear  
As I lay sleeping  
I dreamt I held you  
In my arms  
When I awoke dear  
I was mistaken  
And I hung my head  
And cried

I always loved you  
And made you happy  
And nothing else could  
Come between  
But now you've left me  
And left me broken  
You have shattered  
All my dreams...

You have shattered  
All my dreams-

His voice broke on the last word, and he buried his face in North's fur coat while he stroked his hair and massaged his fingers gently just behind Jack's ears and ran nimble fingers soothingly up and down the length of his perky nose.  
"Aw, Strewth..." Bunny fidgeted uncomfortably.  
After a few minutes, Jack lay still again as they had found him.  
"Will he be alright?" Baby tooth chirped simultaneously in concern.  
Sandy materialized a picture of a clock above his head.  
"Sandy is right. It just takes time to accept."  
"Heal and scar and move on." Bunny added with his ears laid flat.  
They gazed at the lonely, wandering Frost spirit whose whole being had been a question for so long. He had endured more sorrow than they had ever known, and with a smile and a lightness in his step that spoke of Fun instead of darkness.  
North thought long and hard and finally replied to Tooth's question.  
"Yes, I Believe he will be alright. His Sun will shine bright again, even though the darkest clouds may block it out. It only takes time..."


	7. Viva La Vida

**A/N: I swore I would not be one of those authors who would just drop off the face of the planet. Glad I didn't swear on the Styx or the halls of Valhalla or anything like that, 'cause I have no idea when I'm going to update stories or even post new ones.**

 **Finals week is killing me, so to cheer myself up, I have decided to finally post this story that I have been working on for a _long_ time. I freakin' love this song and listened to it on repeat to get the real feel of it. I'm really proud of how this turned out. I've been obsessed with Pitch and villains in general lately (*cough* Loki *cough*) so... yeah.**

 ***spoiler alert* This story _does_ reveal stuff that happened in the books, Guardians of Childhood. You have been warned.**

 **Song: Viva La Vida by Coldplay**

()()()

Pitch paced back and forth and back and forth. Step after step after step. The Nightmares dogged after him, whispering and laughing, _Failure, disgrace, you used to rule the world! And now look where you are._

Pitch cursed under his breath, "Leave me alone."

The Nightmares laughed again, _Okay_ _, Pitch. But only for a while. In the meantime... Have a gift._

Something fell at Pitch's feet. A silver locket.

 _Goodbye for now,_ Kozmotis. The shadows shrank away.

Pitch picked up the locket, rubbing it gently with his fingers. The Nightmares had finally backed off a bit, but he felt like this was worse. He always tried to avoid thinking of the past.

"Kozmotis is dead," He said aloud.

He shook his head, thinking of days gone by.

When the great General Kozmotis Pitchiner served under Tsar Lunar. The General Kozmotis who raised his troops with a word. The man who sailed the skies and space. The man who used to have a family.

Antarctica flashed through his mind. Jack, he couldn't help but see that man Kozmotis in the boy. So innocent and eager to please. And yet, Pitch shook his head, smirking, there was a bit of Pitch Black in Jack Frost. _"I don't know what it's like to be cast out? To not be believed in?"_ He had opened up to Frost. They shared many things in common. " _To_ ** _long_** _for a_ family."

Pitch's grip tightened on the locket as memories flooded in.

A little girl standing on her tiptoes begging for a hug. A woman laughing as she leaned in to give a kiss. The both of them waving as someone they loved left...

His life had been so perfect.

His wife had slept alone that night. The night that he lost them forever.

And suddenly he had found himself alone.

To long for a family? No. To long for a family _again._

Pitch felt something stir in him and immediately lashed out, "Enough!" He threw an arm up in the air, "Come back and taunt me! Hurt me! _Do something!_ "

The Nightmares cackled, So _soon, Pitch? Do you really fear the past that much? Are you really that afraid of your own_ feelings? They scoffed in disgust, _You used to call the shots. You would roll the dice. Do you remember the fear in the Guardians' eyes?_ _What about Jack's?_ They sighed in pleasant memories, _Such delicious fear._ They shook themselves out of their ecstasy, anger lining their whispers and taunts, _And what about those little children's? They were going to_ fear _you._ _It would have been a return to the Dark Ages._

The Dark Ages. He couldn't help but feel a longing for that time.

Everyone terrified, everywhere dark, and just him. _Oh the power I wielded!_

Pitch Black, the Nightmare King, the boogeyman, a man far more powerful than Kozmotis ever could be.

Pitch closed his eyes, another memory flooding in.

A man guarding a prison. He seemed tired, sad, _lonely._

His head hung low as he gazed at something in his hands. A silver locket.

He snapped it shut, tears streaming down his face.

"Oh, Emily." His voice cracking on the name.

And the prisoners saw a weakness, an opening.

 _Daddy help me!_

"Emily," the man breathed. He looked down at the key in his hand.

 _Daddy, it's dark in here!_

He closed his eyes, trying to compose himself.

 _Daddy, **please!**_

And his defense fell apart like a pillar of sand...

The nightmare sand swirled around him. _Kozmotis was weak._ The Nightmares spat. _He couldn't stand up to us. One minute, he held the keys and the next? Well, then the walls were closed around_ him _._

Pitch took a shuddery breath, "Why. Why are you bringing this up? Kozmotis is _dead_."

 _Is he? Is he really? Pitch or Kozmotis. Which one_ are _you._

"I'm Pitch! The Nightmare King. The boogeyman, the ruler of the Dark Ages. I'm the man who killed the Lunar Tsar."

The nightmares chuckled, _Ah yes, the Tsar. The_ old _king._ Their voices took on a mocking tone, _Long live the king._

"What more do you want from me?!"

The nightmares snarled, _What more do we want? We wanted fear, we wanted to rule the world. Because of_ you, _the Guardians, those stupid revolutionaries with their mixed up thoughts of joy, want our heads on a silver plate! And for that... you_ will _pay._

" _Daddy?"_ That voice. The nightmare sand shifted to the shape of a little girl. No, not _a_ little girl. Emily Pitchiner.

Pitch froze. _You still think of her,_ the nightmares sounded amused as they pulled the locket from his hands. _She hates you, you know._

" _You failed me, Father,_ " The girl shifted to a young woman.

"Emily," the whispered name echoing in the darkness.

" _I was lost. I had nothing but my rage at you to feed me."_ She circled around him, cold and regal.

"This is beyond cruel." Yet, Pitch couldn't look away.

The nightmares had a distinct smirk to their voice, "Oh, really. And to whom, Pitch... or Kozmotis?"

Emily, (no, not Emily), looked at him as if disappointed, angry, and sad all at once, " _I came to your aid only out of... curiosity. To see how a once-great man could become so fallen and low."_

Emily, his Emily, she couldn't believe what had happened to him. This man wasn't her father. She hated what he had become. Her father, the great General Kozmotis Pitchiner, the saint, a man who knew true happiness, replaced by... him.

Pitch couldn't remember what happiness was like.

 _I'm no saint. I'm only Pitch._ Pitch Black. That's all he would he ever be. He would never know rest. Never know peace. St. Peter would never call his name. No, he'd only call Kozmotis. And for some reason he couldn't explain, he knew that he would never be that man again.

He clenched his hand and the Emily made of nightmare sand crumbled.

He looked at the pile of sand, "Kozmotis _is_ dead." More honest words had never been spoken in the dark cave. "Only Pitch, the boogeyman, remains."

Pitch stood, facing the Nightmares, "Only the Nightmare king."

The nightmares laughed, mockingly, _That was when you ruled the world._

The laughter grew louder and Pitch's eyes widened in fear. _Long live the king. Long live the king. Long live the king._ It echoed throughout the labyrinth, growing louder with the laughter.

 _You're nothing but a puppet dangling from a lonely string._ They shrieked with laughter.

Pitch stumbled back, shaking his head, sinking to his knees. He curled in on himself as the taunts surrounded him.

"Oh, who would ever want to be king."

* * *

Pitch Black, the Nightmare King, paced back and forth and back and forth. Step after step after step with Nightmares dogging after him, whispering and laughing. They taunted him, reminded him of the past, haunted him.

And Pitch remembered a time when he had everything he could ever want. Acceptance, honor, love, _a family_.

And he remembered a time when he ruled the world. Fear, power, darkness, _belief_.

And he had an eternity to remember it.

A bitter, sad, pain-filled voice whispered out into the shadows, " _Viva la vida._ "


End file.
